The United States of Bland
June 26, 2008
This morning I ran across a display ad in Sunset Magazine; it was a tourism piece for the City of Portland, Oregon. Regardless of the ad’s merit, it does make a point that resonates well today: that most cities across the country lack much individual personality. Everything looks so mind-numbingly bland. The same strip malls, fast food restaurants and franchised national retail outfits. Our own Rancho Cucamonga is no exception. What was once a fascinating and quirky agricultural center has embraced that same blandness that now extends a full 50 miles to downtown LA.
I’m guilty of falling into that trap too. A few years ago I gave up our family business’ name for a moniker that sounds more like a national chain. In retrospect, that may have been a mistake.
Thinking back a few years and remembering some my earliest Alpert’s Printing customers, there are a few that still stand out in my mind, some 29 years later. They had personality. They didn’t need a six paragraph mission statement. Clarity and character is so lacking in today’s world of sameness. I’d be willing to bet a month’s phone bill that the descriptive name General Telephone is still easier to remember than the cryptic Verizon.
I doubt the corporate spin masters will be dropping their LGs, Altrias and Cingulars any time soon, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us need to buy into the blanding of America. If you want to get your marketing noticed today, perhaps try something that comes naturally: be yourself!
Free Font Utility from Linotype
June 26, 2008
OK, it may not be terribly original to build a font manager that looks almost identical to ITunes (including a built-in font store), but the venerable type founder, Linotype was shrewd to do so. There’s got to be a boatload of overlap between graphic designers and ITunes customers. I cut my teeth growing up with Linotype equipment, and the company’s entry into digital typography is long overdue.
I’m imagining that the market for font management software isn’t exactly vast. Hence there hasn’t much new to consider, certainly not from Adobe. Yet the need to organize your fonts remains as important as ever. So a FREE font manager that really works is a great addition to the Mac arsenal. (PC version out soon!)
Linotype is betting on the convenience factor here: click and buy. After all, Adobe isn’t the only game in town. I bet someone in San Jose got chewed out for not thinking of this first.
BTW, the ability to switch your fonts on and off as needed, helps your computer run faster. Thanks to Copies&Ink Graphics Manager, Dave McPherson for pointing out this find!
Free download from Linotype Corp.
July Vacation Date Set
June 23, 2008
Seems like 2008 is a good year to save energy. With that in mind; we’re turning off the lights and the air conditioning for better than a week this July. Copies&Ink team members have all consolidated their summer vacation to one week, beginning with the 4th of July Holiday. So in short:
Copies&Ink will be closed from July 4 through July 11. We’ll be open for regular business hours beginning July 14
Are you running low on any of your regular printed items? Do you have a publication or mailing planned for early July? Please contact our offices ASAP. We’ll make every effort to accommodate you. We hope this does not inconvenience you and we appreciate your flexibility in allowing us the schedule this time off for our employees.
Un-Confuse Your Marketing!
June 17, 2008
People send mailers for all the wrong reasons.
Are you thinking about sending out a flyer or mailer? Stop! Why are you sending it? Unless you have a clear picture of your reason, you’re cooking up a recipe for disappointment!
Most people who send out flyers are thinking DRM, or direct response marketing. Compare that to “branding” or image marketing, and you’ll find two different kinds of animals, which should never be confused for each other. If you’re looking for a response, that is you want the orders to come and the phone to ring, you’ll need a relevant and compelling offer to motivate your customers.
DRM won’t work for every type of business. Sometimes the reason for the mailing is to build awareness of your brand in the marketplace. That’s something that happens over time. Sorry, no shortcuts here. Instead think about how many times and ways you can “touch” your customer over the next six to 12 months. If there’s a trick here, it’s to be memorable.
So much of this stuff gets confused because it looks so similar on the surface. A mailer is a mailer, yes?
Couldn’t be more wrong!
My new company car
June 13, 2008
In the wake of $4.59 gasoline, I can’t think of a better time to think green than right now. Maybe even better than thinking green, each of us has the power to take positive steps in the direction of renewable resources, cleaner air and a healthier life.
It’s 5 miles from my front door to my office; and 5 (mostly uphill) miles home. I do that in about 30 minutes on my old Trek bike. It can replace my workout time at the gym. And it allows my wife the use of my car, which gets far better mileage than hers. The ride clears my mind, and my clothes are fitting better too!
You’d be surprised how much territory you can cover on a bicycle, in a short amount of time. There’s a wealth of resources (in print and online) and there are great local bike shops to support your endeavor. You’ll discover a community of nice folks, in just about every walk of life. Consider cycling, and give that car or truck a day or two a week off! Work close to home. Or live close to work. You’ll gain a bundle of cash, valuable time, and peace of mind in the deal.
BTW, I’ve heard bicycle equivalent mileage figures in excess of 1000 mpg. This writer explains why vegetarians get almost twice the mileage 
Extra: Inland Empire Invaded by Artists!
June 13, 2008
Here’s a free or low cost event that may be of interest. The Art Institute of California - Inland Empire is hosting an arts camp of sorts, from July 7-11, in San Bernardino. Topics and workshops in the areas of graphic/web design, fine arts, fashion, animation, culinary arts and more will be presented.
For more information and/or to register visit the Invasion of Creativity website. If you go, please let me know about your experiences. And stay tuned for more information about the Copies&Ink/Adobe workshops, coming soon!
“Your rules are really beginning to annoy me!”
June 13, 2008
Kurt Russell’s words come to mind every time a new postal regulation comes into force, but this time around I don’t mind so much.
Starting November 23, the USPS will require that all presorted mailing lists be cleaned using the National Change of Address (NCOA) directory. It’s a 95 day rule. Your list needs to get cleaned at least every 3 months. If you’re busted for sending “dirty” mail, your postal discounts will be forfeited, and you’re liable to pay fines or penalties.
Here are the new rules
Obviously, this is not a do-it-yourself job. It requires special tools and direct access to the most current version of the Postal Service’s Move/Update database.
NEED TO NCOA UPDATE YOUR LIST? Do it for FREE
Copies&Ink has special access to the NCOA database. Here’s what we will do to bring you into full compliance:
If you choose, we’ll process and mail your materials for the lowest available postage rates.
Keeping your list clean is a good step along the path to being “green.” You’ll save on postage and printing while less undeliverable mail ends up in the landfill. Besides, wouldn’t you want to know if your customer or prospect has moved (or died)? In any event, you’ll need to certify in writing that your list is ready for prime time.
FREE NCOA UPDATES
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY: Copies&Ink will update and certify your list AT NO CHARGE if your project is printing and/or addressing & mailing at Copies&Ink. Contact our customer service department and ask for the NCOA promo. Offer expires Jan 31, 2009, so act today!
LOW COST NCOA UPDATE SERVICE
We’re also offering a special $27 rate for NCOA processing only (any list up to 2500 addresses), no printing or mailing services need be purchased to receive this price. Offer valid until Dec. 31, 2008.
TO GET STARTED or for additional information, fill out our quick form below. You can optionally attach your mailing list file in Excel or text formats.
cforms contact form by delicious:days
OPTIONAL: Attach your mailing list using the file upload button above.
